


Quarantine

by roguendeavor



Category: South Park
Genre: Comfort, Friendship, Hugs, Light-Hearted, Night, apparently, cute and wholesome i guess, just one, kiddos, light read, like super hardcore squint, maybe fluff if you mega squint, they're just having fun, we all wanted them to hug in that episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:15:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27432634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roguendeavor/pseuds/roguendeavor
Summary: Stan just wants his life back. Kyle can't turn back time, but maybe he can help.
Kudos: 6





	Quarantine

Night breezes lost their cool sweet touch, chocked by the bitter aftertaste of smoke. The fires had just cleared, but ashes claimed the earth. Being near the site of the fire, the Marsh family had to evacuate to a safe place.

Once again, Stan found himself in the confines of South Park.

Vacant streets and closed shops were the new reality across the country, but the remnants of his former home brought him dismay and worry. The once booming community was little more than a ghost town.

He did not ask for this, did not ask to move, did not ask for the pandemic, did not ask to be quarantined. The weight of being locked up for months on end proved far too much for a boy of the mere tender age of ten, or for anyone, at that matter. He dreamed of the days when he ran outside with his friends, saved the world, and laughed away his fears.

Now, he was lucky to have stable internet connection to see them through a screen.

It was not fair. He hated being in quarantine, hated being in fear all the time from a foe he could not see, yet controlled the way society reacted. Though many chose to ignore it, and brought with them an impending isolation.

Sitting at the hotel window, Stan watched the night sky gently twinkle. Large and extensive, it feared no one, yet saw all. The smokey veil had cleared, but there was still a haze looming above. How is it that such beauty is being destroyed by humanity? Pandemics, climate change, what else will the year throw at humanity? Is it not their responsibility for these outcomes and events?

Stan blinked away the thoughts. No ten-year-old should think of such things, and they did nothing but add to his melancholic existence. He sighed, and brought his knees in close. Stan just wanted his life back, his freedom back, his fun back. He missed his friends, and though he saw them in school for a bit, it was not enough. Their time together felt forced and unnatural, and they were under constant surveillance. There was no possible way he could feel at ease with his friends when there were people breathing down their necks, aiming guns at their backs.

Quarantine was a drag, and he knew all his friends hated it, too. Well, except for Cartman, but he did not count.

The wind shook the window slightly, a small breeze sneaking its way through the cracks. His mouth burned, and his tongue felt dry. _Stupid smoke._

He took one final glance at the moon, thinking of the soft yet stiff hotel sheets. As he stood to head to the bed, a small click sounded from the window. Stan stopped, and waited. A few seconds later, the click returned. He turned, and looked out the window, scanning the street below.

Kyle stood at the sidewalk. He had a mask on, but his bright orange jacket and green ushanka stood out in the dark night. 

Stan squinted at him and shrugged his shoulders.

Jumping, Kyle waved his hands towards him.

With a silent groan and roll of the eyes, Stan grabbed his jacket, boots, and mask. All he wanted to do was go to bed. Though tired, he knew he would be unable to sleep, and would spend hours staring up at the ceiling.

As quietly as he could, Stan took one of the room keys and snuck out into the hall. He put on his jacket and pulled on his boots as he made his way to the stairs, and practically skipped down them. At the hotel lobby, he put on his mask, and stepped out into the cool and stuffy night air.

Kyle ran to Stan. “Dude! You should’ve told me you were back.”

“I’m not back. This was just ‘cause the fires. We’re going back in the morning.”

Kyle clicked his tongue. “Doesn’t matter. Should’ve told me. We could’ve figured something out.”

“Figured what out? We literally can’t do _anything_.”

Kyle frowned behind his mask. “I know.” He clasped his hands together. “So let’s do something right now.”

“Kyle, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Dude, I know quarantine has been—well—it sucks ass. Let’s go to Stark’s Pond, yeah? There’s no one there right now, so we don’t have to worry about anything.” Without waiting for an answer, Kyle started for the direction of Stark’s Pond.

Stan let out an audible groan, yet smiled. He missed Kyle more than the others, and was glad he came on his last night.

“How’d you get out? Your parents know you’re out here?” His rushed steps slowed in rhythm to match Kyle's. 

“God, no! You really think my mom would’ve let me?” He snickered. “I snuck out, same as you.”

Stan chuckled. “Let’s just hope they don’t notice we’re gone. That’d suck big time.”

The streets were empty except for the ever-present breeze of night. Stan and Kyle tried to stay as quiet as possible, but their giddy excitement prevented them from doing so. They would run in intervals, jump, laugh, scream and sing. Without a care in the world, they flourished in the night.

They were two friends enjoying their time together, inseparable and unstoppable.

Once they found themselves at the outskirts of Stark’s Pond, they exchanged a glance, and grinned widely.

“Race ya to the pond.”

“You’re on, Marsh.”

As soon as he finished, the two sped off towards the pond. It lay quite a distance away, and they made their way through winding paths. Many branches covered the trails, and the grass had begun to overgrow, but they continued forward. Stan jumped over several large branches, and Kyle pushed himself off rocks to gain speed.

“Ha! Beat you, Kyle!” Stan stood at the clearing, hands on his hips, completely out of breath. His heavy breathing proved impossible: with every inhale, his mask clogged his nose and mouth.

“I let you win, you dick!” Kyle skidded to a stop. “Fuck, man. I can’t _breathe._ ” Swiftly, he brought his fingers behind his ears and removed his mask.

Standing in the dimly lit clearing, Kyle inhaled deeply, taking in the night air. “Feels so good.”

Stan smirked, and did the same. Being the only two at the pond, there was no fear to use the mask. Unlike the air in the city, there was little residue of smoke. Crips and fresh, the air calmed their breathing, and above them, the stars winked at them.

“So what're we doing here, anyways?”

Kyle shrugged and laughed, then headed towards one of the benches.

Stan shook his head and followed him.

They sat at the bench directly in front of the pond, the night sky faintly reflecting on its surface. In the distance, an owl hooted softly.

“It’s been forever since we’ve been here.” Stan leaned forward, gripping the edge of the bench.

“Yeah. Shit’s been crazy, so we kinda couldn’t. It’s nice to be out here, even though it’s dark as heck.”

“Well it was your idea to come here, genius.” Stan nudged Kyle with his shoulder. 

Kyle laughed and smacked that same shoulder. “Shut up, asshole. We’re literally the only ones here, so we don’t have to worry about social distancing or any of that.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Stan looked at Kyle, smirking, then pushed him off the bench.

“Dude!" Kyle's eyes wide and mouth tightly drawn. "What the fuck!”

Stan laughed, clutching his stomach, and fell off the bench.

Kyle snickered, then pounced onto Stan.

In a fit of laughter, the two grabbed and pushed each other, wrestling and fidgeting on the ground. Their clothes picked up dirt, twigs, and other debris that lay scattered, but they did not mind it. Instead, they relished in their rough revelry.

After a few minutes, they lied on their backs, arms spread out, and gazed up at the sky.

Kyle sighed. “That was fun.”

“Even though I beat you? Twice?” Stan chuckled.

Kyle snickered and nudged Stan harshly. “Yeah, whatever.”

The stars seemed to swirl in the night with the clouds, spinning carelessly. The water and leaves ruffled with the wind, joining the aerial manifestations in their glee.

“Wonder when this is all going to be over.” Stan sighed.

“Who knows? The way things are going, won’t be over for a long time.”

Stan's lips pressed together tightly. “Bullshit. It’s all a bunch of bullshit.”

“Yeah.”

Frogs and crickets joined in, singing sweetly to no one in particular. Slowly did fireflies descend from their refuge in the trees, hovering above the water and on bushes, glowing a warm golden light. Their light twinkled harmoniously with the stars.

“So I guess this is it, huh?” His eyes stuck to the sky. 

“What do you mean?”

“This is how we’re gonna live our lives. I hate it, Kyle. I just want things to go back to normal, the _other_ normal.”

“We’ll get there. Just gotta wait it out. We’ll get there, eventually. It’ll be okay. We got each other, member? We might not be able to hang out much, but we can figure out a way to do something like this again.”

“Yeah, sure. Easy for you to say. I go back to that stupid weed farm in a few hours. I wanted the fires to get it, but I guess not. Stupid.” Stan hit the ground with his fist.

Kyle sat up and peered down at Stan. “Dude, it’s okay. We’ll figure something out. I promise. No way in hell would I leave my Super Best Friend alone when all this shit’s happening.” He smiled, a gentle gesture that warmed his features.

Stan sat up and shrugged his shoulders with a gentle grunt. “Yeah, guess I forgot about that.” It was his turn to smile.

“Exactly, dude!” He laughed as he stood, brushing off any visible debris from his clothes. “As much as I don’t wanna, we should head back. My mom’s gonna kill me.”

Stan stood with a jump, attempting to dust himself off. “Yeah, you’re right. Can we just stay here for a little longer?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah, dude. Whatever you say.”

They stood there, gazing at the warmly glowing pond, and listening to the nocturnal tune. Kyle eyed Stan in intervals, shoulders stiff, and fists clenched. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, then finally gave in to his thoughts. Hesitant and awkward, he wrapped his arms around Stan.

Stan tensed. “Dude, what are you—”

“Just shut up. We both know you need this. And no homo!”

Eventually, Stan laughed and returned the hug. “Thank you, Kyle, for everything. You’re my Super Best Friend. Love ya. No homo.”

They both snickered and stepped away from each other. With their masks replaced on their faces, and their hands stuffed in their pockets, they walked away from the small encasement of beauty, and back into the empty streets of South Park. They knew they would be able to overcome the hardships that awaited them. If it was the two of them together, they could do anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a cute lil one-shot, kinda to prove that I CAN write normal dialogue (@ any Erendriel readers)  
> And, yes, Style star gazing is my forever headcanon, and I will make them do this whenever I can >:Dc


End file.
